


Ten Times

by ZXI



Series: many voices telling a story [1]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-09
Updated: 2015-11-09
Packaged: 2018-04-29 16:50:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5135246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZXI/pseuds/ZXI
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Percy is inexperienced at relationships, Vax is as hard to read as any good rogue should be, and they are both really, really bad at words sometimes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ten Times

The second time they kiss, it is soon after the Underdark but before Vasselheim.

He likes to think that he and Vax understand each other as family of sorts. They haven't the sort of vitriolic friendship that Vax has with Grog, nor the kind of kinship that Percy has with Tiberius on account of their both growing up in large, noble families, but they are just as close anyway. Nevertheless, the first kiss had been a surprise to Percy, but not an unpleasant one, and when he confronts a sheepish Vax - who gives an incredibly transparent excuse about 'heat of the moment' - it was his turn, only Percy goes for the mouth instead of the cheek. Vax is a totally willing participant. Their second kiss is by the light of Percy's forge, and it's strangely romantic, and they agree that this should happen more often.

The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth kisses are stolen around corners and in back rooms on the airship, pressed against the wall like adolescents in their first love. Neither of them are adolescent, except perhaps Vax depending on who you talk to and their views on half-elves, but with such a large party finding an unsupervised place is tough. These kisses are by candlelight and moonlight and paired with no words. There aren't good words for what they are, not a relationship in any traditional sense, but they're close and clearly attracted to each other. But. It leaves Percy a bit confused.

The seventh - lucky seventh - is had the night before the Trial of the Take, after they've gone to a different tavern for a few. They end up making out at the end of the bar as a lost bet over a game of darts. Percy knows that Vax threw the game on purpose just by virtue of he's Vax, but despite that and the cheers and the edge of the bar pressing into his back, he's buzzed enough that he doesn't care.

(The next day, before they each head off, they agree not to speak of their relationship, if you can call it that, to the rest of Vox Machina, at least until they are all reunited. When they return, they both conveniently forget and their secret goes on. )

The eighth and ninth are had in the week before the feast, down in Percy's workshop. Once to encourage, once to celebrate, and the ninth ends with them drinking a little and fooling around in the 'clean corner' where there's a cot for the times Percy needs a place to catch a few hours of sleep in a place not covered in caustic chemicals.

(The night of the Feast leaves him in a place that is not good by anyone's count, but against all odds he does not spend it alone. He likes Lilith, and despite the obvious differences they match like puzzle pieces, but they both know that their night together doesn't make them meant to be or anything other than two people who's pasts came back to haunt them that night. Maybe in another reality, it does. In this one, they agree to remain in contact when she leaves in the morning and part on good terms. He bids her tell Zhara hello from him and their party.)

((He can't help but briefly think of Vax that night. He saw the long look he gave Keylith out on the lawn, and it's affected him more than he feels it should. They haven't been anything more serious than foreplay, and certianly haven't agreed to be exclusive, but the man had still nearly died for him. Because of him?))

.

The tenth is had after the rest of the party has defeated the Roc and the Invisible Stalkers and spoken with Seeker Assum, when Percy realizes that, despite himself, he has become infatuated with Vax. No, that's not the word. He's not sure what the word is. It's not a familiar feeling.

It's as he's thinking of this, down in the shop working on Diplomacy again, that Vex makes her way down and stands in the doorway. Percy puts his project down and the beaked mask up.

Vex doesn't make any attempt at pleasentries. Instead she says, "You need to speak to my brother."

Percy sighs quietly. She knows. Of course she knows. He's not sure how much she knows, but she does. "I know," he admits. "I'm working up a nerve."

Vex gives him another raised eyebrow - those are becoming as common as the Patented Vex Wink. "Good, because he asked me to send for you. He's up having lunch," and she steps backwards out of the doorway, "Don't fuck it up." And she's gone. The heavy iron door slams shut, and Percy is alone with his thoughts.

He takes a moment to de-smudge his face before ascending up to the main floor. His hair, dusted with soot and whatever dark powders, can't be helped without a thorough bath. Laina has already set him a place next to Vax, it seems, and the room smells of cooking meats and vegetables. There's a bowl of warm rolls on the table, covered in a soft cloth and paired with a bit of butter in a dish besides.

Vax is picking at the food on his plate. It's potatoes and pork and beets, not extravagant by any means, but most of the party is out on errands and Vax is not particular about the presentation of his food, never has been. He looks up at Percy, who is probably a mess, and puts his fork down. "Hey," he says, then looks him over. "Nice hair."

Percy sits at the empty place, pulls the bread bowl over to himself. It smells amazing. "Your sister came and got me. Is everything alright?"

Vax shrugs, scoops up a bit of potato but doesn't put it in his mouth. Percy takes the moment to spread a little butter on a roll. "Nothings wrong per se, but I thought we might chat, and Laina had informed me that you haven't eaten for at least a day."

"That's not true, I..." Wait. Well, maybe it is. Vax raises an eyebrow, looking disturbingly more like his sister than usual. Instead of talking, he takes a bite of his roll. It's sweet - probably there's honey in it. When he swallows, he says "I had an apple some time last night." Which is true... probably. He's not actually sure, it's been a while. Percy hadn't noticed being hungry, really.

Laina appears with his plate at that moment, apparently having anticipated his arrival. It's still mashed potatoes and pork, but with something green this time. Broccoli florets. She's having a good day, it seems, because she's humming a pleasant folk tune. "Master Percival, so pleased to see you've come 'round!" And she genuinely does seem happy at his presence, which he appreciates greatly.

Percy smiles at her and gratefully accepts the dish. "I apologize if I've worried you. I've been rather caught up on a  project downstairs."

Laina looks a bit embarassed, like she's been caught pining. "Just as long as you are well. If you find yourself busy, it's no trouble for me to bring something down, of course."

"That would be lovely, Laina, thank you. Everything smells delicious."

This time, she does blush. "Thank you, Master Percival. Excuse me." She bows her head briefly at Vax, and disappears off to the kitchen.

They sit and eat fo a few minutes. Percy has long been out of habit of eating in quite so noble a fashion as he was raised with, but he can't quite bring himself to inhale his food the way he wants to. After he's eaten halfway through his meal, he leans back in his chair and looks to Vax'ildan, who he finds has been watching him eat. Neither say anything for a moment. Then, Percy says, "What?"

"I wanted to make sure you were actually eating and not... I don't know, feeding it all to Trinket."

 "Oh no. I am absolutely hiding a bear under the table. Really, Vax."

 "Just checking." Vax scoops the last bite of his potatoes into his mouth. "Because food is good for you, I promise."

A little fleck of potato makes it's way form Vax's mouth to Percy's napkin. He glares at it, then at Vax. "If you manage to get that actually in my food, I will absolutely feed it to Trinket."

Vax chuckles and turns back to his food. Percy does the same. He loses his nerve, and Vax, he's sure, isn't saying something, but neither of them make to comment.

 .

Half a day later, Diplomacy is giving him trouble, and the hours spent forging bullets have left him sweaty and smudged again. He's come out of it with mostly success as far as the rounds go, and maybe a new idea as far as the glove goes, but it's going to take sone time and he needs a real night's sleep. He pulls his shirt off over his head. It's fairly damp at this point. 

"Ahem." Vax raps a knuckle on the already opened door. He's holding a plate and grinning lopsided. "You missed dinner. That's a good look for you." Percy doesn't reply, and hopes that the heat will hide his blush. 

The fire in the forge is slowly starting to die, dimming the lights, but the stone is still putting out all the heat it has absorbed. The work bench is a mess, but the bullets are finished, and Percy scoops them into his ammunition bag.  "I appreciate the thought, but I'm about to head upstairs."

 "That's fine." Vax sets the plate on the workbench next to the remnants of the bullets that came out of the mold malformed. "What happened to these ones?"

"Bubbles in the mold, probably." The answer is actually a bit more complicated, but it's technically true. He turns to face Vax. Neither of them are short by any means, but Percy feels about three feet shorter at this moment rather than three inches. He's managed to gather a nerve, so he turns to Vax and looks him in the eyea. "Vax, I need to know where we stand. What we're doing."

Vax looks surprised. This probably took a left turn for him. _Whatever._

"Vax'ildan, we are about to run from the law of Emon, infiltrate my ancestral home, possibly start another insurrection and destroy five very bad people and countless others in the best case. Some of us could die or be captured or turned," The scars of Silas' teeth are still visible at the crook of Vax's neck, two angry purple circles and a shallow dashed crescent connecting them, like a threat or maybe a promise. "And I need to know what is happening with us before something happens to one of us. It doesn't matter what that thing is, i just would like to know."

Vax doesn't speak for a moment, mulling the words before letting them loose "I care deeply for you. I trust you know that." He did, but it was also nice to hear it aloud to be honest. "I wouldn't say we're courting, exactly, that's too noble a word, and Vex and i gave up nobility when we left Syngorn." That's fair; Percy hasn't much left either by the way of noble claim. He's not even sure what he will do with Whitestone, if they survive this. "That being said, I'd be remiss if I failed to express that were we both still of noble standing, I might explore that as an official option."

"If we were both of noble standing, we probably would never have met and I would be expected to maintain the de Rolo family name and bloodline." Percy replies simply. It's the truth. He probably would have been married by now, to a lovely young woman of a neighboring lordship who he would only hope was as interested in the sciences as he was.

Vax leans against the work table and turns his head. "You were third in line, weren't you?"

"Technically tied for second, depending on if my older sister wished to remain a candidate or no."

"Well, I can't say I've ever felt that sort of pressure." Vax leaves it at that, and Percy knows enough to fill in the blanks.

They're both silent again. The forge crackles like a fireplace in a cabin, dying slowly and quietly.

Percy asks, "Are we..." He trails off, starts over, places a hand atop the one Vax is leaning on the workbench with. "Do we want to... try our hand? At a more serious sort of relationship." The tips of his ears are burning.

"I think so," Vax says slowly, "But only if you're sure."

"I am." Percy is surprised to find theres no quake to his voice.

He's not sure who moves first, or if it's a tie, but in a moment he and Vax are having their tenth kiss. It's slow, like the pace of the forge furnace's sputter of dying, but it's a breath of relief to Percy.

It's hardly something he thinks about when he knots his fingers into the hem of Vax's shirt. He doesn't blush when Vax's hands find Percy's back, tracing the old burns and scars that have become mostly faded and forgotten. He's happy to be focusing on this thing for a moment instead of having a million concerns and a thousand ideas running through his mind. Vax's hands are cool and contrast the heat from the furnace enough to send shivers down his spine. His hips are sandwiched between Vax and the workbench, and there's hardly an inch of their torsos that are separate, and there is nobody to see them here-

Vex clears her throat from behind them. _Fuck_. Percy really needs to stop thinking things like that. Apparently the gods of fate have an eye on him.

"Well, Pike owes me five and she's not even here to see it. Damn." Percy and Vax both jump, pull away and look back at her. She's smirking like a cat that's caught a mouse - or two mice in this case. Vax levels a glare and a middle finger in her direction. "Oh, come off it, we've had this bet going since we caught the two of you making out on the trip to Vasselheim."

Vax is... actually rather livid. "Who I do or do not take to bed is none of yours or Pike's damn business. Is that why you've been acting weird about Keylith? A bet?" 

Vex brushes her long, thick braid back behind her shoulder, "Don't be silly, brother. I've been giving you a hard time about Keylith because she would prefer her bed remain her own as of late, and you seem to have a difficulty interpreting my subtle attempts to back you off." She tilts her head, thoughtfully, "Or, perhaps it's a girl thing. Point being, you really aren't her type, and she isn't yours as much as you wish she was." 

They slip into Elvish to argue, a particular version of which is filled with gibberish that Percy suspects is more of their own private language than anything. Vex is practically serene in the face, the way she gets when she's haggling and she's knows she's going to get the deal she wants. Vax is more animated, like he's been offended by a bar patron and decides to argue about it instead of brushing it off. Percy catches the words "meddling" "busybody" and a term that is roughly translated to Common as "invader"  but more literally defined as "a person who invades private conversations and leaves with gossip," and decides to move away and collect his shirt and his notes for the day. He leaves them to bicker; they hardly notice his escape. He's got a lot to think on, and despite the embarrassment Vex has provided, he genuinely can't stop smiling. 

.

Later, Percy is sitting in bed, thumbing through an Elvish dictionary by candlelight that he's found in his steadily overflowing bookshelves, when theres a knock at his door, and Vax'ildan peers in expectantly, sheepishly. "Come in. Shut the door." whispers Percy, and he sets the dictionary on his bedside table, and they kiss for the eleventh time. The word at the top of the dictionary page is an Elvish word meaning "the person one loves".

 

**Author's Note:**

> I am a huge wimp who can't actually bring myself to send this link to the cast under my own twitter handle because i'm self conscious as hell, but if you wanted to do that, dear reader, that would be okay with me.


End file.
